Free Child's Apron Pattern link, Sewing with the Girls Again!

Working with my young sewing students is my favorite hours of the week. They are all so much fun to teach and watch them grow. Last weeks lesson for my two little princesses was to finish up those aprons from their Daddy's old shirts. We decided to try a two hour lesson and it worked out really well. We got so much done during two hours and the finished results were proof.

If you are reading this for the first time, we used a free pattern download from Ithinksew.com. You will need to register with them to use the free pattern downloads.

Our project was intended to teach them some sewing skills and also be Eco Friendly so the girls upcycled shirts from their fathers.

Watching their small delicate hands move the fabric through their machines always makes me thrill just a little at them. What a marvel children are? I feel so blessed to know them. In these photos you just see those precious small fingers working away and getting more graceful with each lesson. My tiny seamstresses are looking like pros already.

A Two Hour lesson requires a bit of break time so don't think the princesses just sewed away like little workers without a bit of antics. My son Lane (the mechanic) had ordered some tires of all things on line and they were sitting in my living room all week. The cat enjoyed them as a new playground toy but so did my students.

With the aprons done and ironed, the girls needed to model for me. One was quite happy to model, the other one felt some sillies coming on and hid behind her friend.

This pattern has attached ties at the waist, which were intended to have velcro closures but both the girls were so slim that tying them worked out better for us. We did use the velcro on the neck straps. Sewing through velcro is not a favorite activity as it can be a bit tricky but we managed finally with only one jam up.

Adding the neck band in all one piece was also a different way to go for the pattern but what I liked about this was that it gave the students a chance to practice pivoting and we had many seams that had to be torn out and started again. After having this longer lesson, the pivoting was much easier. The girls started to retain the fact that they needed to leave that needled DOWN before they lifted the foot to pivot the fabric.

I finally got my "shy" girl in her apron. Believe me, she is not shy at all.

My daughter Audrey and her friend Ji were playing video games toward the end of the lesson and I got this cute shot of my little princesses watching the big teenage girls gaming that shows the back of their aprons.

Meanwhile, my Fashionista Monica worked hard on her project this week after getting a wonderful surprise from her Nana.

I feel a bit responsible that her Nana bought her this new machine after I blogged that the other one was having so many mechanical failures. But Monica was so happy with this wonderful gift and could not control the speed,etc..much easier. We spent a bit of time going over the new machine, setting it up and practicing the different stitches so she would get a feel for it.

Since Monica is creating her own pattern for her small messenger bag, we spent time adjusting the pattern to fit correctly. Its really different when you make your own pattern because everything is not just ready for you but her desire to be a designer wins out and she is patient as we discuss the corrections needed. We hope to put her pattern on this site after completion.

Ironing as you sew is so important and makes the difference between something looking homemade and handmade.

Monica is anxious to finish this bag and move on to her designer skirt idea. We are planning a two hour lesson for next week since she is out of school for a Holiday.

At the end of her time we had the entire lining together, the outside of the bag and had attached the flap. Next we have to put on straps or handles, attach those and put the lining into the bag so we can move on to that awesome skirt. I can't wait to take some photos of that for my readers.

We still are selling those Valentine Arm Warmers in our etsy shop, Sew4Munchkins. Not quite as crazy as Christmas but still quite popular.

Tonight is Audrey's Anti-Valentine's Day party so we will be taking pictures and blogging our party ideas and recipes tomorrow.

Have a great weekend everyone and remember to create something wonderful!